Lucky Pennie
by XLuluX
Summary: She was different even from that very first day, she came in wearing a long flowery dress that came down past her knee’s it looked like something my grandma would have worn, and mauled dusty cowboy boots the stitching on them frayed and tattered.
1. Chapter 1

_I make a noise or I do something  
that no one has ever done before._

_And then I can feel unique again  
even if it's only for like a second.  
_

_So, no one's  
ever done that?  
_

_No, not in this spot. No. You just witnessed  
a completely original moment in history._  
- Garden State

Prologue

She had moved to town in 8th grade, nervous, bouncy and jittery that was her on her first day, head down staring at her feet as she walked quickly down the corridors, always something in her hands, a pen, string, or money jingling in her little palms. She was never still, every part of her body was always moving, even her eyes, they never stayed glued to one thing they were always darting around the room like she was frantically looking for something.

She seemed so small, like a mouse or a bug, easily breakable, like a porcelain doll, her skin was china white and her eyes were hazel brown, her skittish glassy eyes. She had long hair even then, it fell straggly to just below her shoulder blades it was a rusty brown color with flecks of auburn and honey in it. If there was one way to describe her it would be that she was like glass, cool, solid, brittle, breakable, soft and smooth but also sharp and complicated.

She was different even from that very first day, she came in wearing a long flowery dress that came down past her knee's it looked like something my grandma would have worn, and mauled dusty cowboy boots the stitching on them frayed and tattered.

The second day of school she was and outcast, people didn't even bother with the taunting jeering and teasing stage, they skipped past that and went straight to the isolation stage, she was still whispered about occasionally as she passed down the corridor the usual _"What is wrong with her" _or _"She is such a freak"_.

I never actually heard her talk, but I did hear her sing, she always sang, everywhere she went she always hand a tune on her lips, and her fidgety ways seemed to be the beat to this unknown music of hers.

About two weeks in to 9th grade someone had left a trashy gossip magazine on her desk in biology by mistake, so in class she began to carelessly flick through it with those odd static movements of hers and then she got to a page with an advert for detergent on with a picture of a little boy with mud on his shirt and she burst out crying, she ran out of the class. She didn't come back.

It was only months after that that it circulated around our pint-sized town that she actually had problems, any three letter disorders she had it ODD, OCD, ADD.

My Mom at the time just told me all those things were just behavior problems brushing it off as nothing more complex than that, we didn't like non-conformists in our perfect little town.

01.

Penelope

"Don't you think it will be good Pennie? Fun maybe?"

_God my Mom was funny sometimes, Dad had just called her an oddball, free spirit I wasn't sure if that was a compliment. She really wanted me to do it, I could tell, she was patting my hand with quite some force._

"I'm fine just being here really," I said.

_Those cups really didn't look right there, they were just wrong there, if I smashed them then they wouldn't be wrong anymore._

I picked up the blue cup first placed it on the floor and then crunched the glass underneath by new doc martin boots.

_Better, a bit better but not good though, cups could never be good, they are only cups so they can't be good._

"You're not even listening to me are you? And can you just clear that glass up-- actually on second thoughts I'll do it, leave it."

_She thought I was being bad again, rebellious, that's what I was calling it._

"I just don't think it will—what are we eating tonight?" I asked.

"I don't know right now darling, but can you just try it for one day maybe?"

"Ok fine, I'll go," I sighed.

"I'm going to play," I said.

_The guitar was never wrong, never lied, well some people probably disagree with that because people can lie so things must be able to as well, but my guitar never lied._

_I was thinking of a song, a nice little melody came when I played, I hoped Mrs Clark could hear she told me my trumpet was too loud, she couldn't hear it though, I'm sure she couldn't._

"Are you going to school then?" Evelyn asked barging in.

_She was so annoying today, it was probably my fault as Mom would say that I found her annoying today, I wasn't really having an off day, my feelings were having an off day with Evie._

"Yes, yes I am ok."

"That's so cool, it will be really fun, can we make something, to signify this, please."

_Oh dear, sometimes I thought my strangeness was rubbing off on Evie, this was bad, I was born this way, she was born with no disorders it was my fault she got weird, but it's her problem._

"Yes, we are going to make, a dress," I said.

_It took forever, it was good though, Evie went off at eleven she wanted to eat, I wasn't in an eating mood, but the dress was beautiful that I/we made, I finished it at twelve, it did take a while but I listened to Louis Armstrong the whole while and I imagined I was in war time making the dress to impress the soldiers when they came back from war. It was a mint colour, with a round neck and a line skirt, nipped in at the waist, it looked nice._

_I put it away and then looked outside and saw it was raining, I loved the rain, so I ran outside to frolic, yeah I liked to frolic, especially in the rain, although I was a bit worried that my tunic was going see through so I went in after a while._

"Raining?" Mom said when I went through the kitchen.

I nodded.

"Your Dad wants you to see the doctor again before you go back, is that ok?" she asked.

"Of course it is Mom," I said and she ushered me over and positioned me on the floor in front of her.

"I think you're a lot better now, don't you?" she asked as she plaited my hair.

"Yeah, actually I think I definitely should go to school," I said drumming my fingers.

"Really, oh that's nice, why?"

"Well there must be special people there, and I shouldn't focus on just making one person happy, I should try and make more people happy," I said.

"That is a good idea, and you will be able to spend more time with Piper at school," she said prizing her fingers through my hair.

_Piper was my friend, I always made her happy, singing to her, dancing for her, she said I was her star and I was, my Mom called me her star as well and so did Evie, I guess I was little bit like a star, I was special and glittery and I could make people smile, and I shined._

"Bed now Penelope," Mom said kissing my forehead.

"Hi Dr Pointer," I said stepping into his dreary little room, no wonder all his patients were mental.

"Hello Penelope, take a seat. I'll just get your paper," he said darting out the room.

_He had a new picture on his desk, a pretty blonde haired lady sitting on a spotty couch with a tiny baby in her arms, the baby was tiny and looked all floppy and sleepy and the lady was beaming at the camera._

"Right here we are Penelope," Dr Pointer said shuffling the papers in his hands.

"Can you give this to her," I said dropping my bracelet in my hand the silver links pooling in my palm along with the little elephant charm.

"Sorry?"

"Your granddaughter, how old is she? Four weeks?"

"Umm Penelope we have to go through your report," he said his eyebrows knitting together.

"Just as a present," I said.

"Well," he sighed and gingerly took the bracelet from my hand, "Now can we get on Penelope?"

I nodded in response.

"Well you are much, much better, your mothers _alternative_ treatments seem to have actually helped as your behavior has improved tremendously and you no longer seem to be showing signs of any ODD symptoms or ADD and your hyperactivity seems to have lessened a lot as well. Also your mother assures me that you are still taking your mood stabilizer medication which seems to be helping your bipolar immensely," he said stroking his chin,

"So I am certainly supportive of you returning to school and I think it will be very beneficial for you, as your grades are very good as your concentration has improved."

"That's great," I said.

"Yes but if you start to show any signs of a relapse, I think it best that you are put on more medication," he said seriously.

I pulled a face at this, you could tell it was my father who had hired this doctor he was sure drugs were the way.

"Well I think that is all really Penelope, but if you want to talk some more then my door is always open."

"Thank you Hamish and I hope your granddaughter is well," I said as we got to the door.

"Dr Pointer to you Penelope, but thank you for your kind wishes."


	2. Chapter 2

03.

Alfie

I was not looking forward to going back to school, it was going to be a shock after the long languid summer, and it had been bliss.

I was not a do-er, so my summer consisted of lazing about, most of this lazing done by the pool with the guys as they pined over Treecy Lakes and her friends, whilst I only had eyes for one girl, Elizabeth Golde.

We started dating at the beginning of summer she lives one town over and is the best; she has black silky hair and wears old Ramones t-shirts and black tights plus she is totally hot. She's a cheerleader as well at her school, and she doesn't mind watching twenty back to back episodes of Scrubs with me, it's a good relationship.

So having Elizabeth made the summer that much better, I didn't mind not hanging out with the Fairview people that much, they got on my nerves most of the time anyway and I much preferred fooling around with Elizabeth.

"Alfie have you got everything ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes Mom," I shouted down the stairs, god that woman was annoying.

I slumped down in the sofa, I was shattered and school started tomorrow, great.

I checked my phone, still no messages from Elizabeth, she had said yesterday she wanted to talk to me so I expected her to call.

There were two missed calls from Kelly though; she was a bit of a tag along, but a laugh sometimes so since I had nothing better to do I punched her number in.

"Oh hi Alfie, you actually called back umm yeah…" she answered, what a warm greeting.

"Any reason you called me twice?"

"Yeah there is but I don't know whether…" she said before another voice piped up on her line saying "Just tell him".

"Tell me what?"

"Oh well I was out today in Kurtwood and I saw Elizabeth and she was... well all over this jock guy, I think he must go to Kurtwood with her, sorry."

"Shit," I said, it was a bigger blow than I liked to admit, I had been really in to her, I guess everyone knew that and that's why Kelly felt so sorry for me, I should have expected it, she was a cheerleader and they always go for jocks, I played in a band, not in a soccer team.

"Thanks Kelly, I'll umm...see you tomorrow."

"Sorry Alfie I-"

"It's fine see you tomorrow," I said and clicked off.

It really sucked, Elizabeth had been hot, part of me just wanted to ignore it, she probably wasn't going to tell me, maybe we could just carry on as normal, I wouldn't let on I knew, we'd be fine. Then my phone buzzed.

"Hello?"

"Hey Alfie, we kind of need to talk."

It was Elizabeth.

"Ok."

"I just don't think, we're working out, I mean I live in another town and we go to different schools I think we should you know start afresh for school, break it off."

"Yeah I agree, I don't really want a girlfriend for senior year anyway," I lied.

"Oh ok that's all cool then," she sounded happy.

"Yeah of course..."

"Ok cool, well see you round Alfie," and just like that she was gone.

* * *

"Hey Alf!" said Bobby tapping the seat next to him.

"Hey," I said sliding in to the seat and getting out my biology books.

"Have you heard?"

"Heard what?" I asked.

"That girl is back,Penelope, the weird one?"

"Oh," I said it wasn't exactly thrilling news, "Cool."

"So, I heard about Elizabeth, God what a bitch, I feel for you man," Bobby said cocking his head at me.

"Its fine I wasn't that in to her any way, just a summer thing you know."

"Yeah, sure..." Bobby said wringing his beefy hands.

"I never intended to carry on with her into school you know. Just a shame we ended badly."

"Well screw her man! I mean its senior year, you need freedom, for all the parties," he said grinning and raising his thick dark eyebrows that looked like they had been colored in with a Sharpie.

"Is it ok if I start the lesson now Mr Ross?" said Mr Lane, he was an asshole.

"Of course sir," I answered.

"Hey Alfie, you free for a party this weekend?" Toby said leaning over his desk, his thick frame blocking Mr Lane from my view.

"Yeah, sure sounds fun," I said nodding my head towards him.

"Better invite Treecy and her girls seeing as your back on the market then," he joked.

"Nah, I'm staying off the field for a while."

"Alfred Ross, would you rather teach this lesson?" Mr Lane boomed.

"No—no, not really sir."

"Well then be quiet."

The rest of AP biology went by quickly, time didn't actually speed up but the seconds just seemed to blur together and past by languidly, so I was glad when the bell went for lunch as it also meant I could escape Kelly's sympathetic looks that she kept shooting me throughout the lesson.

"Over here Alf!" I heard a voice call out over the bubbling of voices in the cafeteria.

They had a good spot, same as last year, the cafeteria was large and square filled with round tables of ten and ours was to the right at the front. We weren't the jocks, or the cheerleaders, or the smart people, or the clowns, not that cliques were very defined at our school anyway but we were just us, Sam, Blake, Thom, Greta, Lori and me.

People flitted over to us regularly and made up the numbers to ten, usually these were some of the jocks like Bobby or Toby, or Kelly and Lucie, and often Zac and Brad tagged on.

We weren't exactly popular, because, well because there were only really two groups at our high school, the people who went out to parties, and the people who didn't, it was good, not cliquey.

"I can't believe the country club won't let us hold prom there," Lucie was moaning.

"Whatever, bo-ring," yawned Sam.

"How's your day been Alfie? I haven't seen you at all," Greta said.

She had changed over summer, she had highlighted her hair so it was a lighter flaxen colour, and her tops were tighter which Blake had definitely noticed, but she was still nice and soft and downy with her lilac talc smelling skin.

"Ok, I mean its school I wasn't expecting anything good," I said and she brushed one of her chalky hands against my arm.

"Yeah, I know how you feel," she answered blowing her bangs out of her watery blue eyes.

"Oh look, there she is, she looks different," Lori said swivelling round in her chair to look at her, "You don't think she'll throw a fit or kill any of us do you?"

At this I just snorted.

It was Penelope, she really had come back, Lori was right she did look different, probably just the usual differences you would expect after five years or so, longer still russet colored hair, same glassy hazel orbs of eyes, and milky white skin, but her face was more mature, still pure and naïve but more grown-up than I remembered, and she was taller still small and very slight but no longer pocket sized height.

One thing she was now that I don't ever remember her being before was pretty, maybe I just didn't have as many hormones before or I had never really looked, but she was, very.

"What is she wearing?" giggled Lucie.

I guess what she was wearing didn't really fit in, it was an antique looking blouse with a big bow collar and a long paisley patterned skirt that dragged along the floor. She looked serenely around the room and then strolled over to a table by the windows where that sickly looking girl named Piper was sitting.

I wanted to scream at her then, why was she here!

She should have stayed at home, never gone out, she had the chance why hadn't she just stayed away, she didn't realize what she was getting herself in to this hell hole that swallowed people's spirits and broke you down, did she not know how people would be towards her?


	3. Chapter 3

04.

Penelope

_School amazed me; I hadn't been there for a long time because of being home schooled, so I had forgotten what it was like, the amazing blur of colors, the mix of people, the mish-mash of smells and sounds and the buzzing energy that ran through the place all the time._

_It was great to be back, as having my Mom as a teacher for four years I hadn't realized how interesting so many things were, I was a good student but my Mom's teaching wasn't at the same level as high school teachers, she didn't know the answers to all my questions on physics or math and couldn't talk to me in depth about modern literature._

_I had already been placed in a few AP classes and the teachers had praised me for my good work and intelligence already, but I had been scolded as well for getting distracted or singing, or just wanting to go to the bathroom._

"Hey Penelope," Piper said in her little hoarse voice of hers when I sat down.

"Hi Pip," I said Pip was my nickname for her, she said she hated it but I knew she liked it really.

"Everyone is staring at us, it's because your back," she grumbled, she was in an inky blue mood today.

"Oh well, don't you like people looking at you? You know it just means their thinking about us."

"Were not all like you Pennie." She said ducking away from the views of our peers.

"Look at them all, your not some freak, I wish they would quit staring. God just look at them! Toby Hern, he thinks he can just gape, or Lucie Bench she's even laughing," Piper said looking over at one table.

"Just ignore them Pip," I chirped.

Piper ate the rest of her lunch in silence whilst I kept up the inane chatter.

"I'll show you the way to Art History," Piper said as we walked down another long nameless corridor.

"Oh my god, how come all the _known_ people are in your class, is this AP?" she squeaked as she peeked inside the room and then hid around the other side of the door out of view of the people already sat down in the class.

"Known people?" I asked bemused.

"You know, people who actually go to parties, look Bobby Marks, Alfie Ross, Treecy Robinson, oh my god and Gio Longeterre."

"Oh, are they nice?" I asked peering in but she pulled me away.

"Like they would talk to you…" she mumbled,

"Just have fun Pennie, and I'll see you later, walk home yeah?" she asked and when I nodded she gave me a quick hug and darted off.

_Most people were already sat at their desks bent over them talking to the people next to or opposite them. As I entered the room it went quiet and all eyes went to me, I smiled back delighted at their attention, maybe they wanted to be friends, but most of their faces did not seem friendly, and one of the boys expressions, who was sitting at the far end of the room, was pained more than anything else, he looked like a deer caught in a trucks headlights wide eyed and struck dumb._

_I took the last empty seat at the front to the edge of the class and conversation started up again as if all the stares were just fleeting thoughts._

_The boy didn't stop staring though, not until a pretty girl sitting next to him nudged him and he came out of his trance with a start and a grumble rubbing his bleary eyes, I smiled back, maybe _he_ actually wanted to be my friend, he did look unhappy, maybe he needed my help, but I already had my eye on helping a teary eyed sophomore that glided around school like a ghost, but I could help him as well._

"Alfie, Alfie?" the girl said to him again tapping his arm.

"What _is_ the matter with you?" she asked frowning.

"I just hate this damn place," he said glowering around the room and the girl shrugged.

* * *

"Hey Pip!" I called out; she was standing beside one of the big pine trees at the front of school.

"Hey Pennie, so your first day back, all in all how was it?" she asked truly interested.

"Good...great, i don't know," I said as she frowned clearly wanting a more detailed answer,

"-wanna run back?" I asked raising my eyebrows up.

She giggled,

"Sure I'll race you back home; I'm gunna race you, race you, race you, race you back home!" she called out in a sing song voice and like that we were off.

_Clothes blown out by the wind and mud on our skirts, half way back I flipped off my shoes so I could go faster, Pip was fast but I was faster even with pebbles stuck between my toes._

We arrived at my garden gate panting and gasping but laughing so hard I thought I was going to burst.

"I beat you!" I chuckled.

"Of course you did, you would Pennie!" Pip sniggered,

"You definitely are a special one."

"Me, I think you are, want to come in?" I asked flopping down on my overgrown front lawn.

"I can't Mom will want me back, probably, to help with Joey you know," she dipped her head down.

"I'll come back and help!" I loved Joey, the cutest baby I had ever seen nothing wrong with him to me, but he apparently had downs syndrome.

"Ok, I mean only if you want..." she said quietly.

* * *

"Hey Penelope, how are you, I've got to out and teach, you gunna help look after Joey, he loves you, you know," Piper's Mom was a tired looking women, but she had been very beautiful in her younger years, she had a long thin nose and almond shaped eyes and snow white skin.

"Yeah, he's such a cutey," I said stroking his little baby soft cheek.

"Well thanks Penelope, see you later girls," and with that she hurried out the door.

Piper exhaled noisily and flopped down on to the couch, I never did understand why she didn't like Joey.

"You want to play don't you," I cooed to him,

"C'mon Pip lets all play," I plopped Joey down on the rug and started rummaging through his toys.

"No, I'm ok," she grumbled.

"Ohh it will be fun!"

"Stop it Pennie, don't try and make it all better, because it's not going to be all better!" she said sitting up off the couch her eyes filled with resentment.

"But there's nothing wrong Pip?" I said putting Joey back in his chair.

"Nothing wrong! You are _so_ stupid! Living in your little dreamy world, well I'll tell you what's wrong, my Mom is never around because she's working three jobs and making hardly a cent from them, my Dad is gone because of _him_ and he's just—he's not right, or had you not noticed!" she said pointing vehemently to Joey.

"Pip everything is going—"

"—it's not going to be ok; I think you should just go Penelope."

_It's not like it hadn't happened before any of this, people not getting me._

_ Piper is my special friend because of all those things, life is so unfair to her, I wish I could help her more, make everything ok. I wish I had a wand and I could just wave it and everything bad in her life would go away, vanish with the flick of a wrist, but as people keep saying there is no such thing as magic. _

_So not true is what I say._

_Raining again, the heavens had officially opened, I never really get that. When people say that, because if heaven was open wouldn't we be able to see all our loved ones who had died? Not that I would necessarily like that, but still._

_No one home, probably out with Evie._

_Sometimes I think I would like it if we lived in the 'Plains', that's what the big area by the center of town is called (which is so small I don't think you can really call it that), there all the houses are uniform, with picket fences and mail boxes shaped like little houses with perfectly manicured lawns and shiny cars sitting on the drives._

_At the this time of day, twilight, it must be great to live there so many people to watch, people coming home from work, jogging, walking dogs. _

_But we don't._

_We live in the 'Forests' it's not really very forest-like but in the 'Forests' is where all the old rambling houses are, mostly owned by old people who have lived there for years and when they all die they'll all get knocked down and pretty perfect houses will get built in their place. _

_We don't live in an old rambling house, we live in a faux-perfect house, Mom and Dad's compromise when we had moved here, Dad had wanted a house in the 'Plains' but Mom had said they had no character, new builds, and our house was in the middle, well Dad had moaned about it being in the 'wrong area' but it had been the only way to get Mom to live here._

_Rain was still pouring down; I didn't feel like dancing in the rain today, I still wanted to make Pip happy again._


	4. Chapter 4

05.

Alfie

"Oh yes that is wonderful Helen, yes Lacey is such a superb singer," I heard my mother's trill voice raised above the sounds of clinking glasses and others talking. Oh god not another drinks party.

"Oh yes I know, but Sandra do you think you could get her in this year, she has such potential don't you think?" another anxious female voice responded.

"Ahh here is my son, Alfie. Alfie this is Lacey's Mom."

Ahh dear Lacey George's Mom, she'll never know what her daughter got up to with a thirty year old business man over spring break.

"Hi," I said and stuck my hand out awkwardly to shake hers.

"Where do you plan on going next year?" the papery woman asked.

"Brown, but I might just go touring with my music instead," I said and I couldn't help filling with glee as my Mom's smile tightened.

"Oh my but Brown, you must be a clever one," Mrs George said looking at me encouragingly.

"Not really, but I try," and with that I hastily exited the room and flew up the stairs.

Day number two of hell I thought as I smoothly slipped my pick up into the slightly too small parking space.

I internally cringed as I saw her, happy as anything waiting at the front door, whistling to herself, her clothes were actually toned down a bit today, jeans, same mauled cowboy boots, tie dye t-shirt and a bag that looked like Mary Poppins bag, ok so maybe not so much toned down.

Then she did the weirdest thing as I was just standing harmlessly by my truck, she waved at me. Yes she actually did, I was not having a momentary delusion she actually waved at me, and not just a little Queen- of- England -type wave but a hand- in- the- air- smile- and- wave, wave.

How were we suddenly on waving terms? When did that happen?

"Hey Alfie are you coming or not?" Sam said from close by me.

"Yeah, of course," I said quickly shifting in to motion.

"She waved at me." I hissed once we were in home room.

"Seriously man, she is old news, just ignore her," he said and turned to ogle Lucie's tight top.

He was right.

"Hey Alfie, how was your Mom's drinks party last night? My Mom wanted me to go along, but I had loads of work to finish," Greta said perching on the edge of my desk.

"Oh no worries."

"Hey Alfie, remember tonight yeah?" Lacey George said her perfume so strong it made my eyes water.

"Tonight?" I asked incredulous.

"Yes, you're helping me rehearse my songs, you said you would Alfie," she moaned and Greta rolled her eyes and moved over to where Blake and Sam were sitting.

"Oh yeah, no problem, tonight of course, see you at…"

"Five, I've got other play stuff on before that, five, ok Alfie?"

"Yep, five it is then," I said and as she trotted off I flopped in my seat.

An hour of Lacey Georges warbling was enough to bring a man out of a coma I swear, whoever cast her as lead in the production obviously was tone deaf.

"One more time?" she asked leaning against the piano her cheeks red from her screeching.

"Actually its pretty dark out, I probably should get back." I said.

"Oh well do you need a lift back, I've just got my new BMW," she asked, the idea repulsed me.

"No, no it's ok, I've got to collect some things you go back, on your own seriously."

"Oh ok, well see you tomorrow Alfie, and say hi to your Mom from me," she said and exited the room, finally I could breathe again with out being suffocated by her perfume, but my ears were still ringing from her clamoring earlier.

I watched out the window to make sure her headlights had disappeared before I headed outside.

It was cold outside, typical September here; I blew on my hands to warm them up as I unlocked my car.

I started the car up and it revved to life and then swiftly spluttered and died.

"Shit," I said out loud.

There was no one back at school, lights all off and empty, so I rummaged in my bag for my phone, hoping, just hoping that today would be the day there would be signal here, not that any other days of school for the past four years there has been on my phone, it would be a miracle.

Yep no signal.

I turned the key again, nothing, knout, zilch.

I unwillingly slid out of the car in to the cold.

"You need some help," a voice came from behind me, it was female, and sounded like, well just like the happiness right before your heart breaks or the voice of a dream just as your waking up.

As much as it was a beautiful tinkling voice it did freak the hell out of me coming from the darkness.

"Has your car broken down, do you need a lift?" the strange smoky voice said again, then she popped out from under the shadows, Penelope Astrata. I should have guessed only someone as complex and weird as her could have a voice like that.

"No!" I said a little too briskly that a little smirk appeared at her lips.

"I'm ok thanks," I sneered.

"You don't look too _ok_," she said patting my arm.

She patted my arm; the freak patted my arm, so I shoved back and felt bad afterwards as I made her stumble.

"Ok well if you're sure, but its cold tonight so…"

She didn't give up easily, what was her problem?

"Ok, fine you can give me a lift," I caved.

I followed her in the dark, how the hell could she see where she was going, and then she stopped in front of a car, no, not a car, a Yugo.

I gingerly got in; it did not look too stable.

"Where to?" she asked merrily.

"Umm thirty three Fork street."

"Ok," she said and flicked on a tape, and then came the soft tinkling of, if I remember correctly from my childhood, that song from Pinocchio 'When you wish upon a star'.

God I was tired, I thought as I stifled a yawn, or maybe it was the song, and the dancing headlights on the dark road and her humming along but I could have fallen asleep right there.

"You're a very good musician," she said and again the strangeness of her voice shocked me.

"Urr thanks," I grunted.

"Do you just play piano?" she said grinning her face lit up by the dashboard light and the streetlights shining through the windows.

"No, I umm play guitar as well."

Oh how uncomfortable this conversation was I thought.

"That's nice, I love music, you have a very beautiful house," she said.

Oh yes thank god we had finally stopped. I had to check twice to see that it was actually my house, and she hadn't taken me to some creepy place to kill me, but no, it was my same white suburban house with its picket fence and painted porch.

"Thanks for the ride then," I said fumbling with the seat belt.

"No problem, umm Alfie?"

"Yes," I replied hesitantly I really wanted to go.

"Do I scare you or something?"

"N-no," I said.

"Ok, well see you tomorrow!" she said smiling again.


End file.
